Reign of Winter — Game Session — 015

by: Charles Plemons - January 31st, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for January 31, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: All Might (Human Warpriest played by Andrew Renfrow), Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons, and co-GM was Jared Smalling.

The team ransacked the upper level of the tower.  They discovered a vault with a trapped frozen statue.  Deska shrugged off the curse effects, and the team took the treasures.  All Might studied several tombs and figured out the ritual to close the winter portal.  He failed in his attempt to close it, and Deska used the knowledge he provided to finish the incantation.

With the Pale Tower conquered, the team decided to head toward Whitethrone to liberate the Dancing Hut.  Nadya Petska volunteered to be their guide under the condition they escort her children Orm and Mjoli safely to Ellsprin, and the team agreed.

About a day out, the party was swarmed by ravens and lost a few days’ travel due to injuries to Magnus’ eyes.  Also along the way, the fell prey to the malicious pranks of gremlins who cursed their food and spoiled it.  The team drove off the gremlins and recovered part of their provisions.

One evening young Orm got lost gathering firewood, and the team scattered to find him.  They could hear wolves in the distance as snow began to fall.  Tulvur and All Might stumbled off in the wrong direction, but the team found the boy right in the nick of time.

The team came across a small cabin and found a red-haired woman within.  She pleaded with them to save her husband from a moss troll she saw in a cave to the north.  Magnus became suspicious of her and noted she was trying to avoid getting too close to them or let them around behind her.  He accused her of lying, and he thought he caught sight of a fox tail beneath her robes!  Deska stepped up to calm her and realized she was dealing with a fey!  She had heard tales of faeries taking up residence with humans but that such relationships were often the subject of derision and violence.  Deska surmised that was the truth the woman was not telling.  They agree to try and rescue her husband and set out for the cave.  Inside a mossy creatures swinginig an axe attacked!  The team swarmed in with Kenwrec hurling a dagger as Ten-Penny shot a crossbow bolt.  They discovered the “troll” was actually Finngarth being controlled by some sort of mold or moss!

Armed with this new knowledge, the team was able to slay the mold and rescue the man.  For their efforts, the couple awarded the party an insidious bear trap.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 014

by: Charles Plemons - January 24th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for January 24, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team found a door and listened.  They heard someone inside, so Tulvur knocked.  A female told them to come in.  The group hid on either side of the door, and Deska walked in.  She found a human woman of Ulfen descent holding a greatsword.  She demanded Deska come in, drop her weapon, and kneel down, which she did.  The woman bound the druid as Tulvur came in.  He tried to intimidate the woman, successfully, and in her panic she tried to decapitate Deska!

Ten-Penny slipped around the door and sank a crossbow bolt in the woman’s chest.  Tulvur and Nadya rushed in while Deska tried to sweep the legs out from under the woman.  Ten-Penny cut Deska free, and the team took the woman down and hid her body under the table with all the chairs pushed in.

Next the team went down the hall and opened another door which entered into a kitchen.  A gnome stood stirring a pot and began yelling at the team.  The group backed out of the room and shut the door.

With the second floor cleared, Tulvur went to the teleporting crystals and went to the top floor.  Up there he discovered a brown-haired man standing near a cauldron.  Tulvur hurried across the room as the man cast a summoning spell conjuring two wolves and two giant spiders.  A fracas erupted with fangs and swords flying.  The man cast blindness on Tulvur striking him sightless!  Ten-Penny arrived on the teleporter and was blindsided by a charging goat!  Deska arrived soon after and helped the half-orc fight the familiar back.  They moved closer to the man as Nadya arrived on the teleporter.  The man cast a spell hurling magical snowballs at the team!  Tulvur blindly swung his sword about as a spider and wolf tried to kill him.

The team started defeating the summoned creatures sending them back into the ether.  They killed the familiar goat, Valstoi, eliciting a cry of rage from the man.  He pulled forth an icicle and began stabbing Tulvur as the team closed in.  The man slipped past the blind dwarf and ran toward the teleporting crystals.  Ten-Penny dropped her weapons and tried a flying tackle.  They began furiously grappling as Deska ran up and assisted.  The ladies slammed the man to the ground and bound him.  They tried to interrogate him, learned he was a witch, and forced him to drop his spell rendering Tulvur blind.  The dwarf then killed the witch.

Ruins of Undermountain — Game Session — 013

by: Charles Plemons - January 17th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Harm Incorporated, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Ruins of Undermountain Add Comment

Game summary for January 17, 2017, Ruins of Undermountain campaign, for Harm Incorporated. Session included: Boran Gibbs (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Kalil Bakran (Human Sorcerer played by Parker Harmon), Paddy Brandywine (Halfling Bard played by Preston Harmon), and Rumbald Shieldcracker (Dwarf Ranger played by Peyton Harmon). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party stumbled through a portal in the Undermountain hallways and found themselves in the town of Daggerford as giants and dragons attacked!  The group engaged the hill giants quickly with Kalil throwing a fireball among them.  Two began hurling rocks and closing in while the third went out wide and ran forward hoping to use its club.  The giants battered the party a bit, but Boran dropped a flame strike strategically, slaying two of them.  Then Rumbald, slayer of giants, chopped down the third.  The team quickly nursed their wounds as a young red dragon swooped in!

The dragon unleashed a blast of searing flame; however, two of the party evaded the attack, Kalil’s fire resistance thwarted it, and Boran partially dodged.  The dragon didn’t make the same mistake, though.  It tore into Rumbald with tooth and claw, cause him to withdraw toward Boran for healing. Little halfling Paddy went toe-to-claw with the dragon!  His chilly blade, Frostburn, stung the dragon harshly as the two tussled.  Kalil discovered scorching ray was completely ineffective against the monster, but his series of lightning bolt spells harmed it greatly.  Partially healed by Boran, Rumbald charged back in and too more grievous injury.  However, the brave dwarf struck a deathblow and felled the dragon!  As the creature’s corpse began to cool, the magic of Undermountain drew the party back down into its depths.

Small Adventures — Game Session — 002

by: Charles Plemons - January 14th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Small Timers Add Comment

Game summary for January 14, 2017, Small Adventures campaign, for Small Timers. Session included: Delwyn Underhall (Dwarf Arcanist played by Jack Smalling), Elowyn Graycloak (Half-Elf Arcanist/Cleric/Rogue played by Noah Smalling), Reth Steelarm (Half-Orc Fighter/Rogue played by Luke Smalling), and Valetin Krupova (Halfling Paladin played by Jared Smalling). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The party entered the first chamber to discover a vicious minotaur and a pair of goblin rascals.  The team swept in launching magic missiles and swinging with abandon.  The minotaur savaged Reth with its greataxe and then unsuccessfully charged Valetin.  The team took down the goblins with relative easy suffering only a few slices from their wicked dogslicers.  The minotaur closed in on the team and forced Reth to fight despite his grievous injuries.  The half-orc was able to slip past its defenses and land a fatal blow to the gigantic brute!  The group then discovered a small chest buried under a flagstone.  Messing with it, they triggered a burning hands trap that singed several of the party.  Within the chest they found some magical trinkets, crossbow bolts, and some coins and gems.  Elowyn went up to the door leading to the next chamber and began messing with the lock with his thieves’ tools.  After a few moments effort, he realized he had locked and unlocked door!  After a few more moments, he once again had the way ahead open.

The team slid into a frigid room filled with glowing blue mist and an ice sculpture of a dragon!  As the team entered, the sculpture animated and attacked.  The team quickly chiseled away at it with dagger, sling, and crossbow while Delwyn moved to the side and blasted it repeatedly with fire!  The team destroyed the sculpture and found a potion and wand along with some jewels within the rubble.  The exit from the room presented itself as a puzzle door.  The team had to decipher the right combination of buttons to press in order to open the passage.  After some debate, the team succeeded on their first try.

The next room appeared to be a tomb with skeletons in niches, and a single coffin sitting in the center of the room.  Off to the side sat a chest.  Elowyn went up to examine the coffin, and it animated!  The mimic adhered itself to Elowyn and began constricting the very life out of him.  Valetin tried bravely to chop into the monster but glued his sword to it.  Delwyn blasted away with magic missiles while Reth ended up with his dagger glued to the beast as well.  Finally, Delwyn killed the creature, and the team was able to revive Elowyn from the brink of death.  Valetin then went to open the chest and shocked himself terribly with an electricity arc trap.  Elowyn then picked the lock, and the team found several magical sling stones, a potion, and some coins and gems.

Horrors were discovered behind the next door.  The dead were piled about with droning flies buzzing all around.  Two female zombie lords jerked to motion to attack the team.  Filled with righteous wrath, Valetin charged in and declared a smite against one of the evil monsters.  The group entered quickly but found the creatures largely ineffective against their good armor.  Reth did suffer a stiff punch to the throat, but once the team figured out piercing weapons were ineffective, the zombies were slain quickly.  The group lowered Valetin down on a rope into a pit to retrieve some magical keys and a potion.

The group moved into another room to find a savage orc and his two pet dire rats.  Reth, a half-orc, walked in and attempted some diplomacy.  It went badly.  Very badly.  The team could only surmise this orc was racist and hated Reth’s heritage.  That or he just had a bad attitude.  Regardless, the orc ordered his rats to attack.  Reth sprang into action and killed one of the rats with ease.  This enraged the orc, and it came charging forward swinging its axe with brutal effect.  The team took a beating, and one of the party was even bitten and infected with filth fever by one of the rats.  The group was successful in defeating them, however, and Reth claimed the orc’s axe for his own.

A dead end presented itself, and the team had to backtrack.  Just past the charnel zombie room they ran into a trio of heavily armored axe-wielding individuals.  The team almost talked to them but decided to attack instead.  Elowyn’s nerve broke, and he tried to slip past them to flee.  He was caught with a critical attack of opportunity and driven unconscious and dying to the ground.  The Small Timers smashed into the enemy and discovered the suits hollow.  These were phantom armors animated by the spirits of the dead!  In short order the team eliminated the creatures and moved on to safety.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 013

by: Charles Plemons - January 10th, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for January 10, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Tiswichtt (Orc Witch played by Casey Scruggs), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team explored the two rooms on the aerie level.  One was a bedroom with little of interest.  However, the other was a storeroom filled with dollhouses the fey utilized for housing.  Within was a magical silver dagger and a small fortune in jewels and jewelry.

Deska decided to try and track Thora using her wolf scent ability and made the discovery that Tiswichtt carried a sapphire covered in the girl’s scent.  Much to the party’s horror, Tiswichtt realized Thora’s fate; she had been executed and used to create a guardian doll!  The magical doll they had fought several days earlier had been powered by the little girl’s life force.  They told Nadya what they had learned, causing her to wail in grief.  After a while she composed herself and vowed vengeance upon the white witch.

The team then used the teleportation crystals to return to the second floor.  They went through some double doors to discover some kind of conservatory filled with plants.

One of the plants was a fearsome demonic blood-draining mandragora!  The creature shrieked and caused Tiswichtt to become nauseous.  The team closed in and began to hack on the plant.  It grappled Deska and began to drain her blood with its roots!  It didn’t take long for the team to bring it down, and they discovered it had been chained and apparently bound here.

The group moved down another hallway and discovered a bedroom with a locked trunk.  Ten-Penny was able to pick the lock and open the container to reveal a small fortune in gems and a cache of potions.

Down yet another hallway they found a room with a bizarre occupant.  Standing in the room was Lady Argentea Malassene!  The team was perplexed because the noblewoman did not recognize them.  They talked for a bit and finally they tricked the woman into drinking an elixir of truth.  She then began to answer their questions with brutal honesty, revealing herself to be a doppelganger!  The creature shapeshifted and attacked but stood no chance against the party.

In another room the team found the forlarren bard, Mierul Ardelain, they had encountered when they first entered Irrisen!  She cast a flame blade and moved to attack.  Deska cast whip of spiders and moved to engage.  Ten-Penny slipped up and landed a critical sneak attack!  Rocked, Mierul staggered back as Tulvur pressed the attack.  However, the demonic fey stepped to the side and critically hit Deska, dropping her unconscious!  The bard could not stand again the team, however, and died soon thereafter.  The team poured a potion down Deska’s throat, bringing her back to consciousness.

Reign of Winter — Game Session — 012

by: Charles Plemons - January 3rd, 2017   Filed under: Gaming, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Reign of Winter Add Comment

Game summary for January 3, 2017, Reign of Winter campaign, for Phoenix Gaming Club. Session included: Deska Starseeker (Half-Elf Druid played by Kaliegh Belda), Kenwrec Battleglaive (Dwarf Slayer played by Peyton Harmon), Magnus Erlingsson (Human Cleric played by Chris Harmon), Tiswichtt (Orc Witch played by Casey Scruggs), and Tulvur Xandersen (Dwarf Fighter played by Taylor Averdick). Game Master for this session was Charles Plemons.

The team ran across the hall looking through the tower.  They stumbled up into the battlements and found no one.  By the time they got down, they found three Pale Tower guards ready for them.  Their companion, Ten-Penny, shot the first with her crossbow, dropping him.  The team surged in and cut down the guards quickly.  They then activated a teleportation crystal and found themselves in a dinning room.  After looking around they were ambushed by a pair of winter-touched atomies!  The team dispatched them with ease and marched down the hallway to find themselves assailed by animated ice nymph statues!  These landed powerful blows, but Deska’s flame blade helped whittle them down.

In a hurry, the team went down another hall and found a teleporter.  Knowing the passphrase, the team went through.  As they emerged they found they were entering an aerie filled with an aggressive raven swarm!  Deska, the first through, had her eyes badly damaged and was flailing blindly.  Kenwrec was struggling against the ravens and trying to fight his way to the sylph cleric who seemed to command the ravens.  Tiswichtt found herself temporarily blinded by the ravens as well.  Things looked bleak.  Tulvur had the idea to protect his eyes by strapping his snowshoes to his face so he could come in and save his allies.  He was poised to do so when Magnus charged across the room and slashed the sylph nearly in two with a mighty swipe of his greatsword!  Upon her death, the raven swarm dispersed.  The group was able to heal their allies and restore sight to Tiswichtt and Deska.